Melinda says her favorite part of working with the women is, “watching them grow from a timid ‘new gal’ to the beautiful creation God always intended for them to be. Sometimes people tell me I'm a blessing to them - but in reality, they are a blessing to me. I have infinite respect for each of them because of their bravery and determination to complete the phases of Lily's House.”
Melinda has gotten to help some of the moms bake and decorate birthday cakes for their children. “This doesn't seem like a big deal to most of us - but oftentimes these moms have never had the opportunity to do this. They choose the cake flavor and design, and I take my cake decorating items in. Over a couple of days we bake and make scratch frosting. I start them out and then they take over, learning how to make [frosting] shell borders, transfer pictures to the cake and write a message. I truly enjoy being a part of this ‘milestone’ with them, and seeing the joy in their eyes knowing they did this themselves for their child's birthday.”
One of the great things she’s seen accomplished at Lily’s House is the raised vegetable beds. Since she is a gardener herself, she appreciates that the ladies work in their own garden. “They prepare the beds in the spring, plant the seeds and starts, maintain by watering and weeding, then harvest their bounty. The last couple summers, I have taught the girls how to process their own tomatoes into jarred salsa for their pantry. They feel accomplished eating what they worked so hard for.”
Melinda is humbled to be able to spend time with the ladies at Lily’s House. “When I think I have a heavy task ahead of me, I think of the stories some of them have shared with me about their pasts, which puts my ‘problems’ into perspective. Like I said, I am the one who is blessed by them. I have also been better able to tell more people about the wonderful work of Lily's House, and how the girls' lives and the lives of their children are changed because of this ministry.”
We are so blessed to have Melinda volunteer her time to pour herself into the women at Lily’s House. Thank you for all you do!
